Current operation mode:
Severe Research Restrictions
Please check back to this page for updates on NanoCenter and Partner Labs' Operation Status.
Last updated: Mon 03-23-2020 2:20:38 pm

NanoCenter Administration & Labs

NanoCenter Adminstration

The NanoCenter Administration staff will be teleworking per the University Guidelines.

FabLab

The University of Maryland FABLAB is evaluating our response to COVID-19 situation that is crippling the global health and economic infrastructure.

Please check this site often for updates in status as this may change depending on circumstance.

Currently we are transitioning to Severe Research Restricted Mode further steps will include in addition:

• Equipment will be ramped down to a standby status.
• No users will be allowed.
• FABLAB Staff will conduct periodic checks of the facility and equipment to ensure viability upon resuming of research activities as circumstances allow.
• Closing a sashes on wet benches and fume hoods.
• Assuring that all chemicals and hazardous materials are safely stored and secured.
• All gas valves are closed and cylinders secured.
• All cryogenic materials are removed.
• All heat generating equipment (hot plates, stir plates and ovens) and all non-essential equipment is turned off.
• All refrigerators are secure.
• All non-vacuum pumped systems will be shut off and isolated from power sources.
• Keep all vacuum systems in operation to avoid start-up problems due to cooling pump oil and acid erosion.
• FABLAB staff will maintain a rotating in-person check of the facility status.

AIM Lab

Protocol for Restricted Research Modes

Following the guidance given by Division of Research, University of Maryland, the AIM Lab, Maryland NanoCenter is currently operated under “Severe Research Restriction” and effective immediately.

Please follow the following regulation/rules during this period.

• All instruments and equipment will be ramped down to a standby status.
• No users will be allowed to use any facilities in the AIM Lab.
• AIM Lab staff will conduct periodic check the facility to ensure viability of all instruments and equipment upon resuming of research activities.

The mode of restricted operation may be updated depending on the University guidance. Please check the NanoCenter website often and stay tuned on e-mails from the NanoCenter and the University.

Thank you for your cooperation as this situation continues to evolve. Stay safe and heed campus advice and NanoCenter update related to activity of research.

Partner Labs

All Partner Labs are operating under Severe Research Restrictions unless otherwise stated below.

Surface Analysis Center (Chemistry)

Robotics Realization Lab

ALD NanoStructures Lab (ANSLab)

Tissue Engineering and Biomaterials Lab

Chungshen Wang Lab

Environmental Engineering Lab (EEL)

Functional Macromolecular Lab (FML)

Nanochemistry Lab

NanoMass Core

Links to More COVID-19 Information

UMD COVID-19 Guidance

Division of Research Guidelines

State of Maryland COVID-19 Information

Moderate Research Restriction:

On-campus research activities should ramp down significantly continuing only with research activities that are currently in a critical phase. Critical phase means that abandoning them would cause a major or irreversible loss in project viability. Faculty and staff Principal Investigators (PIs) should carefully consider this request, and where a doubt exists, should discuss the options with their chair or director. This high-priority work should be a limited set of the current laboratory bench-based experimentation. Research related to COVID-19 is considered high-priority work.

Severe Research Restrictions:

With Severe Restrictions, all basic and animal research experimentation requiring a physical presence at UMD would cease and we would move to only maintaining important instruments, animal colonies, cell lines and similar resources. An exception to this is research related to COVID-19. PIs should plan ahead and prepare now to put their campus-based research activities in hibernation in the case that harsher restrictions become necessary due to local or broad-based quarantine.